Citation Nr: 0814174
Decision Date: 04/30/08 Archive Date: 05/08/08
DOCKET NO. 05-35 559A ) DATE
)
)
On appeal from the
Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in Chicago,
Illinois
THE ISSUES
1. Entitlement to service connection for post-traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD).
2. Entitlement to service connection for headaches, to
include as secondary to PTSD.
3. Entitlement to service connection for seizures, to
include as secondary to PTSD.
4. Entitlement to service connection for hypertension (HTN),
to include as secondary to service-connected diabetes
mellitus, Type II (DM).
REPRESENTATION
Appellant represented by: Illinois Department of
Veterans Affairs
ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD
K.A. Kennerly, Associate Counsel
INTRODUCTION
The veteran served on active duty from December 1967 to July
1970.
This matter comes before the Board of Veterans' Appeals
(Board) on appeal from rating decisions in June 2004 and
February 2006 of the Chicago, Illinois, Regional Office (RO)
of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
The issues of entitlement to service connection for PTSD;
headaches, to include as secondary to PTSD; seizures, to
include as secondary to PTSD; and HTN, to include as
secondary to service-connected DM, are REMANDED to the RO via
the Appeals Management Center (AMC), in Washington, DC. The
veteran will be informed if any further action on his part is
required.
REMAND
After a thorough review of the veteran's claims file, the
Board has determined that additional development must be
performed prior to the adjudication of the veteran's claims.
In a report of contact, dated February 14, 2008, the veteran
indicated that he wished to be scheduled for a Board video
conference hearing. As such, these issues are remanded to
the RO so this may be accomplished.
Accordingly, the case is REMANDED for the following action:
The issues of entitlement to service
connection for: PTSD; headaches, to
include as secondary to PTSD; seizures,
to include as secondary to PTSD; and
hypertension, to include as secondary
to DM, are remanded to the AMC/RO to
schedule the veteran for a video
conference hearing before a member of
the Board. After the hearing has been
held, or the veteran cancels the
hearing or fails to report, the case
should be returned directly to the
Board for further consideration.
The appellant has the right to submit additional evidence and
argument on the matter or matters the Board has remanded.
Kutscherousky v. West, 12 Vet. App. 369 (1999).
This claim must be afforded expeditious treatment. The law
requires that all claims that are remanded by the Board of
Veterans' Appeals or by the United States Court of Appeals
for Veterans Claims for additional development or other
appropriate action must be handled in an expeditious manner.
See 38 U.S.C.A. §§ 5109B, 7112 (West Supp. 2007).
______________________________________________
BARBARA B. COPELAND
Veterans Law Judge, Board of Veterans' Appeals
Department of Veterans Affairs